CLIMATE protesters conducted a rally in Cebu City on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to demand the closure of coal plants, especially the Aboitiz Power’s Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) in Toledo City, and the adoption of cleaner energy sources.
Around 100 people participated in the global event against coal, gathering in front of the Sto. Rosario Parish along P. del Rosario St. before marching to the Social Security System building along Osmeña Blvd.
“The government must exercise its authority to impose a clear exit of coal by 2035 and institute the halting of the planned construction of new coal plants in the country,” said Nicasio Blanco of Limpyong Hangin Alang sa Tanan.
Blanco, who is a resident of Toledo City where a new coal fired power plant is scheduled to be constructed in 2025, lamented that the government should use its power to stop using coal by 2035 and prevent the construction of new coal plants in the country.
In a statement released that same day, the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) said, “… Toledo stands against coal, and it’s time for the government to prioritize sustainable energy solutions.”
The PMCJ highlighted renewable energy sources like solar and wind as practical alternatives to coal.
“The cost of renewables has become so competitive that it begs to question the government why it continues to promote coal. The DOE secretary has been facing a graft charge at the Ombudsman for his alleged violation of a coal moratorium by favoring Aboitiz Power’s power plant expansion in Toledo, City,” said Ian Rivera, PMCJ national coordinator.
The Citizens of Coal Communities for Clean Air and Climate Justice (C4CJ), along with the PMCJ, submitted a petition to TVI, opposing the company’s plan to build another power plant.
C4CJ is a multisectoral coalition of organizations opposed to coal and is campaigning for healthy air in Toledo City.
The C4CJ alliance recently held a meeting to inform the people of Toledo and Cebu Province about the negative effects of coal and the climate crisis.
It said the construction of coal-fired power plants in the city violated government regulations and had negative impacts, such as polluting the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape with wastewater.
“With the recent contravention of the Department of Energy on the coal moratorium, havoc will intensify. Coal has been ruining lives and harming the environment and communities for decades,” said Rivera.
Despite a 2020 moratorium, DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla’s move has opened doors for the resurgence of coal and this would not have happened if the government through the DOE had not tied the country’s energy development to the deadly and expensive imported fossil fuels, Rivera said.
“The high cost of LNG (liquified natural gas) in the global market has turned the heads of energy companies to coal not only in the Philippines but also in Asia. The country will continue its fossil fuel addiction if clean and cost competitive renewables will not be given due attention by BBM (Bongbong Marcos) and DOE. We demand an immediate halt to new coal plants and a swift phase-out of existing ones,” he added.
In a report by SunStar Cebu on June 14, Aboitiz Power announced that it was planning to start the construction of a third coal plant in Toledo City next year, with completion slated in 2028.
According to Ronaldo Ramos, chief operating officer of the Thermal Visayas-Mindanao Business Unit at Aboitiz Power, TVI is currently securing bids from equipment suppliers and awaiting necessary permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines before proceeding with the construction.
Ramos said they hope to secure permits for the third plant by the first quarter of 2025. / CDF